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“That is too kind of you, but I must beg to differ. I have a bit of money and would like to reimburse you for any expense this short stay might impose on you.”
Liam drew his brows. Darn it. She was talking too politely again. Like a duke's daughter, which she was, but not here. “I will pay you back for food and I don’t need anything else, thank you.” That was better…
“There’s no need for that. Once we file an insurance claim, you'll be surprised how much money you're entitled to,” he grinned at her.
She didn’t answer. She knew she couldn’t file any claims as she wasn’t even documented in this country. Besides, she wouldn’t do it anyway. None of this was Liam’s fault and him helping yet again without hesitation clearly showed what a good person he was. If only her mother had engaged her to a man even just a hundredth of the man Liam was, she wouldn’t even be here right now. Better to change the topic as Liam seemed too eager to file that claim for her or take her shopping.
“So, you're in the military?”
“Was. Not too long ago.”
“That's very honorable.”
“I guess that depends on who you ask, but yes, I tried serving my country.”
“Tried?” Her brows perked up.
“Once you see the horrors of war… you start to question what it's all for.”A moment of silence loomed in the air amidst the endless sea of cars and people across the road.
“I guess that makes sense. Though I think it's still honorable of you to have done so. It takes courage to do that.”
“Courage. Desperation. I guess they’re both the same in my case." Isabella stared at him, even more curious of the man who now sat next to her. "How so?"
"I was young and poor and it was pretty much the only way out of my old run-down hometown before I would end up getting into too much trouble." He smiled, seemingly in a trance like he was staring back into memories which only he could see. "But I’m glad I did it. I met people who I now consider my brothers and sisters. Women and men that would not hesitate to give their lives to fight for freedom, to fight for those in need. I don’t have much family besides my sister, you know, so those friends mean a lot to me.”
No family… Fighting for freedom… Those were things Isabella could empathize with more than he knew. “I know what that feels like. Not having anybody.”
“So you really were all alone here?” His voice softened, and he took a quick glance before focusing back on the road.
“Pretty much.” She stared out the window, leaning her head on the car seat with her fingers tangled with each other. "I have Dan, but that’s it.”
“Is Dan that lady Jerry was talking about?”
“Yes.”
“Well, she sounds like a good friend.”
“She is… She is with a friend until things are safer.”
Liam gave a sidelong glance. “Hope you don’t mind me asking, but how did you get here? You sound like you're—" He hesitated for a moment. "From somewhere else?” Isabella looked away, lips pressed together as she shrugged her doubts away.
“I am. But I don’t remember how I got here, or what I’m doing here. Everything before the accident is blurry.” That was a bunch of nonsense and they both knew it, but Liam seemed not to ask any further. It was Isabella’s turn to bring up an uncomfortable topic. “Liam, I’m not sure how much Jerry told you about my situation, but someone odd has been stalking me, like a shadow—always there.”
“I know. Jerry told me. You think it's the same guy that grabbed you when we met?"
“I’m not entirely certain," she said thumbing her fingers, "but I do believe so.”
“Don’t worry. I promise you, if this psycho comes anywhere near you, I'll finish what I started that night. He won't be able to hurt anyone, or you any more.”
There was no need to explain why those words felt so true. Liam was an honorable soldier. The mysterious man was no pushover, Isabella was sure of that since the encounter, but Liam was no rookie. He had fought for his country, for his life, and for others; besides, she saw him fight that night.
“Do you have any idea why he's after you?”
“No.” Slightly, she bit her cheek. That was kind of the truth, but in the farthest corner of her mind, she pictured her mother. She might have something to do with this. In the end she had no clear clue what was going on here. She had no choice but to let things unfold on their own.
“Or he might just be a pervert. A pretty girl like you is just their type. There are so many stalkers these days, it’s pretty crazy.” This was the second time he called her pretty. Her cheeks flushed as her thoughts scattered into unfamiliar places. She never cared much for looks anyway. Thanks to her shallow mother she knew that beauty, more often than not, was nothing but a shiny apple that’s rotten on the inside.
Liam pulled in front of a townhouse that seemed to have been transformed into several flats. It had a cute porch in front of it. The whole street was lined with trees. For someone who had just spent weeks on the streets, it looked marvellously enchanting.
